The present invention relates to athletic shorts for men and, more particularly, an athletic short which accommodates a hard protective cup and is suitable to be worn as outerwear as well as to be worn under other clothing or equipment.
Athletic supporters of resilient material, often called "jock straps", have long been known, and it is also well known to use a hard, protective cup in connection with such a supporter. Other clothing or equipment has been required over the supporter and cup, so that two or more layers of clothing or equipment have been needed.
Athletic garments are known which provide a releasably closeable pouch to receive a protective cup, such as U.S. Pat. No. 3,788,314 to Noreen which discloses such a pouch in a long leg garment for hockey players and football players. In the garment, the pouch is relatively short, only slightly greater than the height of a protective cup, and is shown attached to the remainder of the garment at the top and bottom, and along the sides. Accordingly, no movement between the pouch and the remainder of the garment is possible.